TACOMA, Wash. - Making the most of senior night, senior post Karen Chase (Yakima, Wash./West Valley) hit 1,000 points for her career as the Puget Sound Loggers defeated the Whitman Missionaries, 68-63, in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Fieldhouse in Tacoma, Wash.

In the first half, both the Missionaries and Loggers came out strong early. With the score tied 6-6 with 16:45 minutes to play, the Loggers then went on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to pull ahead by 10 points, 18-8. Whitman battled back, pulling within two points with just under five minutes to play. With two teams trading baskets the rest of the half as Puget Sound took a 31-24 lead into the break.

In the second half, the Loggers again got hot, pulling ahead by as many as 13 with 16:16 left to play in the game. Whitman again got close, pulling within two points with 8:39 left to play in the game but the Loggers stayed tough and didn't let the Missionaries to regain the lead, taking the 68-63 win.

The Loggers were led by a career-high 24 points from Claire Ely (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate). Senior Andrea Edwards (Yakima, Wash./Columbia Basin CC) added 11 points in her final regular season home game while Chase finished with nine points to land directly on 1,000 career points in the win.

Whitman was led by 19 points from Michelle Krall. Hilary White finished with 17 points as the Missionaries fell, despite committing just 10 turnovers.

The Loggers hit the road next week needing just one win to clinch second-place outright, which comes with a home game for the NWC Tournament Semifinal on Feb. 26. The Loggers will be at Pacific on Friday, Feb. 20 and Willamette on Saturday, Feb. 21.

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